Close to You
by Aleria
Summary: Malik visits Domino City in hopes of becoming friends with those he fought with. He falls for one of them, but finds the dangers of being in love. YAOI.
1. Trust

**CHAPTER 1**

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Ok... this is my first YGO fic... so don't kill me if it's bad. _;; 

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It wasn't the first time they had all forgotten his birthday. The day started like any other day; the mailbox was empty, as was the house. 

Even Malik Ishtar himself had almost forgotten as he woke up that ever-warm spring day in Egypt. Of course, this was no surprise seeing how he did forget the year before, and spent that whole year thinking he was still 15. He was a very preoccupied 15-year-old those days. What he was preoccupied with seemed vague and sporadic in Malik's 17-year-old mind. Not that he ever tried all that hard to remember. It was a piece of his life he wasn't all that keen on remembering, for a number of reasons. 

Thus it was almost like Malik had grown two years older that day. Personally, he would be celebrating his 16th and his 17th. He wondered at that point if anyone else had remembered at all. 

Malik got up after much thought and a jolt of realization when he discovered it was his special day. He left his messy bed unmade, and his clothes unchanged (A pair of baggy pants and no shirt would do fine for the day). He stood in front of the full-length mirror that was among one of the only things in his room. The other things were a desk, a closet, a bed, and a pile of clothes in the far corner. 

He hadn't grown much in the past two years, he observed of his reflection. He was still fairly short for his age, and had the same lean-yet-muscular build. His complexion was dark, a result of being a native of Egypt, and (oddly enough) his hair was platinum blond. His eyes were a deep purple, and just below them were two of his many 'tattoos'. Nothing had changed much in the past few years, he thought; at least, nothing physical. 

Where as a good deal of himself changed _mentally_. 

Malik shivered involuntarily at the memories that surfaced in his head. 

Too much had changed. 

He left his room to brood in the kitchen. With any luck is older sister may have left some sort of a birthday breakfast for him before going to work. The kitchen was breezy and warm, as the windows were open, but there was no meal for the birthday boy. 

Malik sighed and opened the fridge. He drank what was left of the milk straight from the carton (his sister would have had a hissy-fit) and grabbed a pizza-pop from the freezer. 

A thought hit him as he scarfed down the warm pizza-flavoured mush. Maybe he got a letter! Rashid was two days gone on some business, but surely he would have remembered his half-brother's birthday! 

Malik trotted over to the front hall where his sister had not yet seen the mail. Picking the letters up, he signed in defeat. All junk. 

He sat down again. Two let-downs in one day-- he could tell today was not going to be as fun as he had hoped. But then, as he tossed the fliers one by one across the room, he found something. 

The new-found letter could have easily have been missed. As he was looking for his name written in Arabic, he has skimmed past the all-Japanese letter. Although Arabic was his spoken language, it did not mean he not summon up his lost ability to read Japanese. 

The letter was addressed to him personally, and was from someone he would have never expected to hear from again for the rest of his life. 

Ryou Bakura. 

_Why on Earth would *he* want to write to *me*??_ Malik thought wildly, turning the letter over and practically ripping it open. 

_Malik-san, _

How are you? I'm sure you will find this letter a bit out of place, so I will explain. Rashid has come to Domino City on business, as I am sure you are aware, and has taken the time to visit Yugi-kun and myself on your behalf. He tells us that you are not attending school or making friends in your new home in Alexandria. Perhaps you would like to come visit us, and ,maybe even make friends here. I'm sure we can all put the past behind us. I know I can. Maybe you can stay at my house. 

Yours, 

Ryou. ^_^ 

_Well, Bakura's right about one thing,_ thought Malik as he read the letter over again, _this letter is WAY out of place_. 

Malik had almost killed Ryou, more than once, and that was even before… _he_ showed up. 

And that Rashid! He just *had* to go telling everyone that his _poor_ half brother needed friends! Malik knew that Rashid had good intentions, but did he _have_ to tell half the world about his personal life? 

Well, maybe not half the world-- actually not even half of Domino City. Just Yugi and Ryou. 

Ryou… why on Earth could he trust Malik?? 

Malik put down the letter finally and held his head. He was beginning to think in circles, which usually meant he should stop thinking all together for a while. 

Of course, dispite what he did to keep himself occupied that day, his mind still lingered on the thought. 

_Maybe I do need friends…_

*~*~*~*~* 

By the end of the day Malik had reached some sort of a decision. All he had to do now was talk to his sister. 

Unfortunately, Isis Ishtar didn't want to talk to him. 

"Please leave me alone, Malik" she said as soon as she saw him after work. She worked for the museum, but seldom did she have to come home this late. 

"But, hang on," Malik said, holding the letter in hand and pattering after his sister as she retreated into the living room. "let me ask you one thing!" 

"What?" she snapped. Her dark eyes were cold and her dark skin slightly flushed in frustration. Malik should have been afraid. 

"I have a request." He began, handing her the letter. "Can I go to Japan?" 

She read the letter in a flash and flung it back to him. "Are you insane?" she said to his disappointment. "You? Running amok in Domino City? Again?" Her expression flashed a sort of You-Know-What-Happened-Last-Time look that should of made him feel guilty. 

But Malik was determined. "Rashid will be there." He insisted. "And I'm not going to do… _that_ again!" 

"Rashid is due back here tomorrow" she snapped, gathering the newspapers on the table beside her and looking as thought the discussion was closed. 

"Don't you trust me at all?" he practically yelled, somehow already knowing the answer. 

"MALIK! You are a little boy with a bad record!" She always used this grounding. It meant 'I am older than you'. "Who would trust you??" She looked angrier than she had been in ages. 

"I'M NOT A LITTLE BOY ANYMORE!" he suddenly yelled, a new topic surfacing. He too was getting angry now. A sudden pain shot in the back of his neck, but he ignored it. "If you haven't noticed I'm 17 today!!" 

There was a slight pause as Isis took this in. 

"THAT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE!!" she yelled back. 

_She doesn't care about you..._

"You are still a child," 

_She just wants to control you..._

"...AND I STILL HAVE CONTROL OVER YOU! If you think for one moment that--" 

But Malik didn't stay to hear the rest. He had grabbed his cloak and bolted out the door. Not because he was angry, but because he was scared-- scared of that shooting pain in the back of his neck, and angry voice in his head yelling so loudly now that he could only make out one thing repeated over and over again. 

_KILL HER!_

He ran past confused pedestrians and through traffic lights, barely aware of his surroundings. But he couldn't run from it. It was still there, yelling loudly, and straining to pull him back to where his house and sister were. 

Hours later, under the heat of the afternoon sun, the boy cowered in some unknown corner deep in the heart of Alexandria, holding his head, and crying. 

It was then that Malik decided on something. It may have been him that did, or maybe it was that angry voice still pounding in his brain, but either way it was set. 

_I'm going to Japan._

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Mwahaha! That's the end of chapter 1! Please R&R! 

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	2. Bumpy Landing

**CHAPTER II : BUMPY LANDING**

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Here's the next chapter… remember that there is potential spoilers in this story. Don't say I didn't warn you! 

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Ryou Bakura sat nervously on the edge of his seat. His head was down so he could see nothing other than his hands, white from being clenched so hard. The room was quiet, and the air was stale. Across from his, also sitting, was what could very well have been his twin. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he silently glared at the other young teen. 

"I'm really sorry, Yami." Ryou repeated. He couldn't bring himself to look his mirror image in the eyes. "But I had to!" 

"No you didn't *HAVE* to!" Yami snapped. He stood up in anger and Ryou flinched. Although it had been a long time since there was any real violence between the two, the young boy was still afraid. But Yami didn't hit him. "Swear to me that the next time you go inviting foreigners into the house you'll ask me first!" 

Ryou lets out a bit of a sigh of relief as his other, less solid self retreated to another room, leaving him alone in the kitchen. Ryou suspected that if his Yami actually knew who it was that he had invited, he would not have gotten off so easily. He cringed to think of what would happen when Malik Ishtar showed up on his front step. 

That is, if he was coming. 

Ryou got up and walked over to a window to watch the cold fall rain drip from his roof. He had sent the letter a week ago, and hadn't yet gotten any sort of a reply. A week ago, Rashid had come to Yugi's house and had made them all very tense. But after a while, things settled down, and be began to explain his situation. They really were the only people Malik knew, and the young Egyptian wasn't the sort of person to go around making friends. According to Rashid, Malik may seem tough on the outside, but he was really very sensitive. 

Ryou scoffed. 'Tough' was a bit light for him. Try 'evil', 'sadistic', and 'psychotic'. 

/What, you talking about me?/ came Yami Bakura's sarcastic voice. 

Ryou jumped in surprise. He sometimes forgot that just because he couldn't hear his Yami, it didn't mean he was asleep. Ryou summoned up all his ability to make up the best lie he could. 

\Just talking about a show I saw.\ 

/You don't watch TV./ said Yami suspiciously. 

\I…I saw it at Yugi's.\ 

Yami practically growled. /I don't like you going to his house./ 

\Sorry.\ 

Ryou sighed out loud, and then did his best to create some sort of mental wall to keep his Yami from listening to his thoughts. He would rather that Yami found out about Malik _after_ he arrived. That way he wouldn't be alone… and subject to any sort of-- _punishment_. 

So it was the Ryou took it upon himself to invite Malik to his house. He discussed this with Yugi, and they thought it was for the best-- seeing how Yami Yugi would be more likely to tear Malik apart than Yami Bakura. This was still slightly dangerous, however, seeing how Yami Bakura and Malik were never a really good mix. 

But Ryou promised to somehow keep his Yami in check, and keep the two from trying to take over the world or anything. 

Ryou smiled. _Maybe Yami would even be happy to see Malik_ he thought cheerfully. 

There was, of course, no guarantee. Nor was there a guarantee that any of Yugi's other friends would be all too happy either. Malik had tried to kill most of them. But then, he had also tried to kill Ryou, but for some reason Ryou found it in him to trust the boy again. 

_I'm sure we can all put the past behind us. _

*~*~*~* 

The sun was beaming through the window and onto Malik's cold face when he woke up two days later. He yawned and looked about the plane that was still chalk-full of passengers, all looking as though they were getting ready to leave. 

Two days ago Malik had made a decision. Two days ago, Malik had taken his sister's credit card that was still in his pant pocket and bought himself a plane ticket to Japan. Half a day ago Malik had boarded the plane, and now, tired and groggy and looking out to the sunny land below, Malik was here, in Japan. 

20 minutes later the plane had come to a less-than-smooth landing at the airport in Tokyo. The plane from Alexandria did not go straight to Domino City, so Malik would have to take the train from here. 

By the time he was out of the station and carrying a very small bag of his things, it was getting to be evening. Despite this, Malik felt wide-awake. If he were back home, this would still have been morning, about the time when he would wake up. 

He had managed to sneak back to his house once to grab a few essentials, and to at least get himself a shirt. This was easy, seeing how his sister was out, and she would have never noticed that he came back. Malik wasn't really sure why, but he wanted her to worry about him. He didn't want her knowing he had come back to get his stuff. 

So, packed with a few changes of clothes and a loaded credit card, Malik walked warily down the street, reading a few signs here or there, trying to find out where the train station was. 

Tokyo was a big city, and all around him the buildings seemed to lean into him. The night fell, and the city lights flickered to life. Hungry now, Malik ignored the stares he received for his out-of-place cloak and extremely non-Japanese appearance, and made his way to a fast food joint. 

_Nothing has gone wrong so far,_ Malik thought, happily. On a whim, he had run away from home and flew half-way across the world. He had his stuff, he was in the right direction, and he had the money-- 

"Excuse me, sir" the man at the cash register said, handing Malik back the credit card he had tried to pay with. "There was an error. There's no money on that card." 

Malik stood there, mouth wide open. "Are-- are you sure?" 

"Very sure. Sorry, sir, you'll have to pay another way." 

Malik waved away the food that was going to be served to him, and nearly ran out of the store. Desperately, he looked for a bank machine. 

_That BITCH!_ He thought, pounding his fist on the screen. There was no money on the card. His sister had cancelled it. Malik felt the anger boiling up inside of him. It felt like scalding water rising through his chest and to his head where it prickled the back of his eyes, flushed his cheeks, and caused a sharp pain in the back of his head. 

"Hey, are you ok?" someone said. Malik snapped out of his phase to look at the few people lined up, waiting to use the bank machine. 

"Oh, sorry." He bowed his head, and swiftly left the area. 

_That was too close_ he told himself, now running for where the train station was. He had only one option now. He would have to take the train there with the last of his cash, and not eat until he found a way to make more money, or when he got to Bakura's house. 

He paid for a ticket, and boarded the train, gaining more odd looks from the other passengers. His stomach grumbling, Malik found it somehow easy to sleep now. Tired from jet lag, and exhausted from hunger, he fell asleep the moment he rested his head. 

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Yay! another chapter down! Please R&R! 

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	3. Sick

**CHAPTER 3 : SICK**

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Gomen-ne, Malik-kun! I didn't want to starve you! it had to be done!!   
(BTW: I claim no ownage to Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the charaters therein. I forgot to sya that before, didn't I?) 

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Malik stepped off the train and found that his legs almost gave out from under neither him. He had been asleep all night, and nearly missed his stop for Domino City. He was groggy, and suddenly felt very ill. Maybe he was just hungry. Or maybe jet lag always feels like this. 

_I think I'm going to be sick…_ Malik thought, dragging himself and his bag to a garbage can. After being violently sick for a moment or two, his lifted his head up, and decided that this was no ordinary jet lag. 

But this wasn't about to stop him. Now that he had emptied his stomach, he wasn't going to throw up again, so he should be able to make it a few blocks. 

Malik's mind often thought in this way: 'How far can I go before I pass out?' 

Malik deliriously wandered down the street, Ryou's letter (and address) in hand. He wasn't one to give up that easily. 

*~*~*~* 

Ryou sat at his desk in his room leaning over a math textbook. He wished dearly that his father were home to help him with his homework, because his Yami had flat-out refused. His father often went out on expeditions, leaving Ryou to fend for himself. This was, of course, fairly easy, considering he had done it for years, and it had been a while since he had actually feared being home alone with his Yami. 

Yami, as usual, was fast asleep in his soul room. It seemed to be a newfound hobby of his. Sleep, bother Ryou, sleep, cause chaos at Ryou's school, and then sleep some more. 

Ryou sighed. _At least it's better this way._

Just then, the doorbell rang. Bewildered, Ryou closed his textbook and stood up. 

"I'll get it." Said Yami, suddenly materializing beside him. "I wanna see what this guy looks like." He smirked and darted out of the bedroom. 

"Wait…!" called Ryou after him, but he was already bounding down the stairs. Ryou froze as he heard him open the door. 

"What the FUCK?" 

Ryou rushed down the stairs and rounded the corner so fast that he nearly ran into the wall. What Ryou saw was not what he had expected as a reaction. 

It was indeed Malik, but he was not standing up. His arms her limp, and his eyes closed. An extremely confused Yami was barely holding him up. 

"Ryou," he snarled. "What the HELL is going on??" He dragged Malik's unconscious figure over to Ryou, and gritted his teeth, seething with anger. "Foreign student, eh?" 

Ryou didn't reply as he helped Yami take Malik into the living room. His face was speckled with sweat, and his breathing was irregular, as he seemed to be in a dreaming state. They laid him down on the couch and Ryou ran out of the room to get a wet cloth. 

Ryou heard his Yami mutter something as he left the room, and returned to find that he was gone. He sighed and knelt beside Malik, slowly dabbing his sweating forehead. 

This was coming as a bit of a shock to the young white-haired boy. Just a few hours ago he had decided that Malik was probably not going to come at all. But then, suddenly, he had showed up at Ryou's front door, collapsing on Yami Bakura. 

_He's pale,_ Ryou thought. _And weak. He probably hasn't eaten for a while._

"Baku…ra?" came an extremely faint voice. Malik was watching Ryou with half-opened eyes. "Did I get the right house?" He let out a faint laugh. 

Ryou smiled faintly. Somehow, he felt he was looking at a different person from the Malik of before. This Malik was weak, and fragile. He looked as though he wouldn't hurt a soul. 

"Go to sleep, Malik-kun." Said Ryou softly. As he looked at those moist purple eyes close, he wondered how anyone in the world could not forgive this boy. 

*~*~*~* 

"I don't care if you think he's a good guy!" Jounouchi yelled. "I can never forgive him for what he did!" 

Yugi cringed under Jounouchi's towering height. He had the privilege of being at least two heads shorter than all of his friends. 

And they were all there: Jou, Anzu, Honda, and even Shizuka. They were just outside the Turtle Game shop on a warm fall day. Yugi didn't think it would be that hard to convince his friends to accept and befriend the young Egyptian. 

"He almost killed you, Yugi!" said Jou, flailing his arms. "And he controlled me 'n' Anzu! AND he nearly killed Mai and not to mention Ryou!" Jou's sentences were starting to lack in grammar. 

"But he's changed now!" insisted Yugi. Being so much shorter, it was hard to get his point across. "Even Ryou trusts him!" 

Anzu, Honda, and Shizuka watched from the sidelines, afraid to become involved. Jounouchi wasn't one to back down, but Yugi was usually right. It was a pretty evenly matched battle. 

Anzu was inclined to believe in Yugi. He was usually right, and she trusted him very much. If he trusted Malik, then so would she. 

Shizuka would always believe in her brother. One-chan was always right. Of course Malik was a bad person! 

Honda was torn. He knew that Yugi was right, but he also had his own opinion of Malik. He had nearly killed half his friends, and had betrayed their trust once already. 

"Can't you guys just meet him once?" pleaded Yugi. "I'm sure once you see him you will understand!" 

Jou turned his back on Yugi. "Fine!" he said gruffly. "But no promises!" 

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End of chapter 3. Interested yet? 

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	4. Alone

**CHAPTER 4: ALONE**

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Hehe, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Hope you enjoy. Oh, and there's some swearing-- so beware... ^^; (And again: Yu-Gi-Oh! is not mine! I do not claim to own it!!) 

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Malik awoke sometime during the night. Of course, by his mental clock, it was halfway through the afternoon, and he was STARVING. The room he was in was dark, and he could barely make out his surroundings. He seemed to be in a living room on a couch. He thought back to the day before. He must have been in the same room as then. 

Malik tried to remember all of the day before as he sat up. He remembered getting off the train, throwing up, and he could remember pieces of his long walk to Ryou's. And then the last thing he saw before he passed out was an extremely disgruntled-looking Yami Bakura. 

_God, I hope I didn't fall on him,_ Malik thought scratching the back of his aching head. The last thing he needed was to get involved with _him_. From his experience, Yami Bakura was nothing but a troublemaker. 

_And what does that make you?_ a part of him self asked. He ignored this and managed to stand up. He swayed on the spot, but still looked around and found the doorway. After much grouping along the walls and feeling for door handles, Malik found himself in the kitchen. 

He hesitated at the fridge. He felt as though he should be asking before eating someone else's food. Ryou's face came to mind and Malik suddenly felt very guilty. 

He was the one that had helped him when he was sick. He couldn't remember straightly, but he was lying there, on the couch, looking up to Ryou's concerned face. The question that had been plaguing him for the past three days resurfaced in his mind. 

_Why does he trust me?_

Malik turned from the fridge somewhat reluctantly and made his way to the hallway where he thought he had seen a stairway. If was going to eat anything, he would at least try to ask permission. He wasn't sure what time it was, but it was worth a try to see if Bakura was still awake. 

He slowly made his way upstairs, his head suddenly hurting more than it had downstairs. 

"What do you think you're doing?" 

Malik looked up sharply to the top of the stairs. Yami Bakura stood there, unmoving, with his hands on his hips. 

"I was… just…" For once Malik couldn't come up with a good lie. 

"Ryou's asleep." Said Yami Bakura, narrowing his eyes. "You better get out of here." Even in the dark he could see those cold eyes. 

Malik glared up at Yami Bakura. But there was no arguing with him, and he was in no shape for a fight. "Fine." 

Yami Bakura watched as Malik walked steadily down the stairs and to the living room where he was sleeping. He knew Malik couldn't be trusted. He had already once tried to kill his host, and he wouldn't be surprised if he tried it again. Yami wasn't going to let Malik anywhere near Ryou. 

*~*~*~*~* 

"Malik-san?" came a soft voice. 

Malik slowly opened his eyes. Ryou stood a little distance from him, seeing if he was awake. He was wearing the same white t-shirt and jeans as last night, he observed. How Malik had remembered something like clothes was beyond him. 

_Good,_ he thought. _I wont be the only one wearing clothes three days in a row._

"O-ohayo" Malik yawned, sitting up. Ryou smiled to him. 

"How are you feeling this morning?" 

"Better" Malik couldn't help but smile back. Something about that boy's innocent smile would make anyone else want to smile as well. "And hungry." 

"Good, that means you are better!" said Ryou, clapping his hands together. He showed the stumbling and drowsy Malik into the hall and led him to the kitchen. They passed Yami along the way. 

Yami glared at Malik; Malik glared at Yami. 

"What would you like to eat?" Ryou asked cheerfully. Malik pulled up a seat and sat down at the kitchen table. 

"Anything…" Malik said, laughing a bit in embarrassment as his stomach growled. It had actually only been a few hours since he ate. After Yami retreated from his guard last night, Malik slipped into the kitchen and fed himself. 

Ryou started to make bacon and eggs that smelled delicious. 

"I want some." Yami B stated gruffly, and sat down across from Malik. He usually didn't even need to ask. 

"Yami, you don't *need* to eat." Said Ryou, setting the already-cooked bacon in front of Malik. Malik looked straight at Yami, grinning broadly. He took a piece of bacon, and ate it, exaggerating the _wonderful_ taste. 

Yami B growled. 

"Gimmi some bacon, yadonushi!!" he demanded. Ryou rolled his eyes. 

"Guests first, Yami," Ryou explained, as if he was talking to a child. 

"Ya, Yami, guests first." Teased Malik. 

"WHY YOU--!" Yami Bakura had stood up so fast that the milk on the table had been knocked over and it spilled all over Yami's pants right around the crotch. 

Malik burst out laughing, making Yami turn bright red with anger and embarrassment. "Shut the fuck up!" 

But Malik had already shut up. With a bang, his chair suddenly fell back along with him, and syrup from his plate was all over his crotch. 

Ryou couldn't help but giggle as the two ran off to change their pants, randomly shouting swearwords, directed to certain 'fucking assholes'. 

*~*~*~* 

Malik and Ryou walked down the street later that afternoon, smiling at the warm weather, and Ryou still giggling at this morning's occurrences. He had never seen his Yami so ridiculed. _His_ Yami; the arrogant, rude, always-in-charge Yami. _He_ had been ridiculed. But it was a good thing Malik had too; else Yami may have killed him. 

Malik, on the other hand, wasn't all that happy about the situation. He had ruined one of his only pairs of pants, and had to be forced to change. Something he didn't always like doing. 

But today was a day when he had to be as good-natured as he could be. Today he was going to make friends. *insert sarcastic laugh here* 

"Bakura-kun!" the short boy called from his position in front of the Turtle Game Shop. Yugi and his friends all looked somewhat uncertain as Ryou and Malik approached. 

"Yugi-kun, konichiwa." smiled Malik, straining to look as absolutely nice as he could. This wasn't all that hard, considering he had already done it before almost a whole year ago. He had fooled this same bunch of people that he was the innocent Namu, and they had all fallen for it. But this time the trick was to convince them that he had no intention of doing them wrong. 

"Malik-kun!" Yugi was the only one out of the group that looked happy to see Malik at all. What were the other ones called? That one was Jounouchi-- Malik had controlled him for a whole battle with Yugi. Then there was Anzu-- she was also controlled by Malik more than once. The other male Malik did not know the name of. 

"Minna-san." Malik faced the rest of the group who suddenly looked on guard. This was going to be harder than he thought. He bowed. "I am extremely sorry for the way I treated you and your friends last time we met." He straightened up again. A few of them looked a little more relaxed, but Jou was unconvinced. 

"It's alright, Malik-kun" said the ever-cheerful Yugi. Malik wondered if the boy could have grown more naive since the last time he had seen him. 

"Yugzo" 

They all headed off for the day, Jounouchi walking ahead with Honda, giving Malik suspicious looks every once in a while. 

"Do you think he still has his Millennium Rod?" Jou whispered to Honda. 

"Wouldn't Yugi have noticed?" Honda reasoned. He didn't seem to notice anything wrong with Malik-- yet. "Or Bakura would have." 

Jounouchi frowned. Why couldn't they see that Malik was a bad guy? Were they all blind to his evil? He had practically tried to kill him!! 

The first place the group headed was to the arcade. It was always a sure-fire place to go to have fun. Everyone liked the arcade. Soon enough even Jou had forgotten his troubles and worries and was deeply indulged in a shoot-em-up competition with Yugi, whom had temporarily lost control of his body. Yami Yugi would never back out of a challenge-- even if it was his hikari that was challenged. 

Malik stood behind the cheering group of friends. They laughed at the obnoxious Jounouchi, and cheered on the unbeatable Yami Yugi. They were such a close knitted group of friends. 

That's when Malik felt it. A bubble of feeling rose from deep in his stomach and settled in his throat. Malik was confused. What was this? Why did he feel like this? He felt-- what was it?-- loneliness? It had to be. They were all friends. They all had each other. They had others to cheer them on; to help each other; to love each other. Malik had seen it before; a year ago. He had seen them never give up in the face of unbeatable odds. It was because they were all there for each other. Friends were like that. Friends never let each other down, and never gave up on each other. 

_Where are my friends?_

Malik thought about this. He had grown up alone except for his family. His father wasn't one to love him. His mother had died shortly after his birth. His sister wasn't always there. Rashid-- Rashid could be what you call a 'friend'. He cared for Malik. He was always there, with him; sharing his pain. 

Where was Rashid now? 

Malik looked at his feet. He wanted to cry. He had never realized that there was something more to life then revenge and power. But now that he saw it, it was too late to have. 

"Malik-kun" came that sweet voice again. Malik up to see Ryou, a concerned look in those chocolate-coloured eyes. "Are you alright?" 

_I'm not alright. I never was. I'm lonely, Ryou. So lonely…_

"I'm fine." 

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End of chapter 4! Aw! Poor Malik! Someone tell me if he's getting too OOC... 0_0 

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	5. Crush

**CHAPTER 5: CRUSH**

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A reminder that I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of it's characters. (though im sure we all wish we did...) 

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Malik never was one to give in to his feelings. Of course he wasn't. He would be perfectly fine. He was a happy boy. 

He sat at the end of the table in the restaurant they had all settled at. He had just gotten water, seeing how he was still completely out of money. 

"Aren't you going to get anything to eat, Malik-kun?" asked Yugi, back to himself after his Yami PULVERIZED Jounouchi in their arcade competition. Malik put on a fake smile. "I'm not hungry." 

Jounouchi gave Malik a weird look, and then could distinctively hear him asking Honda if 'that guy' was human. 

Malik growled to himself. 

_YOU try buying food when your god damn sister cuts off your supply of money!_

"I'll go get our food." Ryou offered. He got up from his seat and headed for the counter where the food was being served. Malik jumped up right behind him, half because he just didn't want to be left behind with people he barely knew. "I'll help!" This earned him another sweet smile from Ryou, and the two of them went to gather the trays of food. 

"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?" asked Ryou. He was holding his wallet in hand, and looking to Malik with that concerned look again. 

"I…uh… no" For some reason Malik found it extremely hard to get that out. He was starting to realize the other reason why he had offered to help with the food. 

"If it's because you are broke, then I can buy it for you." offered Ryou. "I know what happened last time you didn't eat. 

Malik was about to answer, but his stomach did it for him. He felt the distinct feeling of blood rushing to his cheeks as Ryou laughed. 

"What would you like?" 

The two returned to the table a moment later with an array of burgers, fries, soups, and (in contrast) sushi. Malik was amazed at the speed at which the group of teens was able to consume the food. Not to mention how much they ate. He himself only got a sandwich and a drink. 

"Ne, ne!" chimed Anzu. "Let's go to a movie!" The groups of friends, including Ryou, cheered. They went on the chatter about what they wanted to see, and Anzu and Honda got into a heated debate over the subject. 

They all headed for the theatre a few minutes later, reaching some sort of an agreement on what to see. Malik paused at the corner, creating a rift between himself and the group that still moved forward. 

"Malik-kun?" asked Ryou, turning back to him. 

"Uhm… I… I don't have… the money…" he wasn't sure why this was so embarrassing, but it was. 

"I understand," said Ryou. "I'll see you back at my place then, ok? Don't fight with Yami!" 

Malik smiled as best he could and waved. There they went. He was going… going… gone. Malik didn't move for a while. He really wanted to come. He wanted to be with them for just a little longer… 

Or maybe he just wanted to be with _him_ a little longer. But only because he was better company than Yami Bakura. 

_Or maybe you see him as more than a friend._

Malik shook his head. Stupid conscious. What a ridiculous idea. He cared for Ryou, because Ryou was so nice to him. Ryou wanted to be his friend, unlike anyone else in the world. 

Malik began to walk down the road that led, eventually, to the Bakura house. And Malik wanted to be Bakura's friend. That was it. He wanted to be near him because he was a nice person. He wanted to be with him because he made everything feel better. 

_And he's got such beautiful chocolate-coloured eyes!_

Ok, so his eyes were nice. But that was it! He was a good friend with nice eyes; gorgeous eyes. Eyes that, when they looked at you, made you feel like you were having a nice warm bath in chocolate syrup. 

Malik realized a moment before it was too late that he was about to cross a busy road before the signal told him he could. Amazed at his own lack of concentration, he shook his head and took a drink of the pop he was still carrying around, as if to wash the thoughts from his mind. 

But there was no denying it. He had been fantasizing about Ryou. 

*~*~*~*~* 

Ryou sneezed. 

"What's wrong, Ryou?" asked Honda, looking back to the white-haired boy. 

"I think someone's talking about me!" he joked. 

"Or thinking-- maybe it's your Yami." said Yugi seriously. "He doesn't usually let you out this late." 

Ryou nodded. It was true. This was one of the first times Ryou had ever been out after dark without his ring. This didn't mean he was totally separated from his Yami. At any moment now Yami Bakura could come bounding down the street after him. Ryou hoped this would not happen. 

_Maybe Malik's keeping him in check,_ he thought, smiling. Then another thought struck him. _I wonder how Malik is…?_

Ryou remembered how today he had looked… a bit off. Ryou had never seen him looking anything other than angry, confident, or generally content. He never got *sad* or *depressed*. Not Malik. 

But there he was, standing all alone in the arcade looking both sad _and_ depressed. But why? 

Ryou glanced to the other teens as they lined up for their movie tickets. None of them looked worried. None of them noticed Malik looking upset at all. They were extremely content today, as always. What was it that set them apart from Malik? 

_"Malik is-- is very alone right now"_ Rashid had told Ryou and Yugi a week and a half ago. _"He may seem tough on the outside, but he's really very sensitive. He's very lonely…"_

Malik has no friends. 

"Bakura?" called Yugi, suddenly noticing that the boy had taken off in the opposite direction of the theatre. "OI! Bakura! Where are you going?" He looked to his friends, who all looked equally as confused. But they all shrugged it off, and went back to their usual cheerful dealings. 

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I know... not enough action in this chapter either... I'll get to the good parts later, i swear!! .;; Please R&R anyhow!! 

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	6. Trouble

**CHAPTER 6: TROUBLE**

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Eep... here's another reason why this story is PG 13... 0_0;; 

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Ryou jogged down the street, away from Yugi and his friends, heading for his house. 

How could he have been so stupid? Malik had spent the day feeling like an outcast. Ryou had noticed this, and yet he had left him all alone. 

The sun was starting to go down as the youth ran down the streets of Domino City, looking for his newfound friend. The street lamps were beginning to flicker on one by one, and the air around Ryou was cold on his skin. Beams from the cars rushing by lit up Ryou's path as he continued to jog. 

Ryou paused, breathing deeply. It had been a while since Malik had left, but not long enough for him to be home by now. Ryou knew of plenty of short cuts to get back to his house, so he figured he'd take one, and maybe he would be able to catch up with Malik before he got there. 

He went a little farther up the road and turned to the left. He ran down an alley lined with boxes and garbage bags. He slowed to a walk, and took the time to catch his breath. Behind him he heard a cat hiss. 

He turned his head to see what the commotion was, muttering something about there being too many stray cats in this side of town. But he didn't see any more cats. Instead, somewhat blocking the light that came from the street light behind, there stood a hulk of a man. As he stepped forward, two other men, somewhat smaller than the first man, stepped into Ryou's view. 

Ryou froze. Even in the dim light he could make out the baseball bats that they were carrying. The large man was carrying a large sac over his shoulder. 

"Hey," said one of smaller men. "Who's the kid?" 

"Out of our way, girly," said the other, a smirk running over his lips. 

Ryou couldn't move. He knew he should of. He knew that look, slowly spreading over the largest man's face. He had set down his large sac, and he was taking a step forward. 

"You wanna get pounded, kid?" he snarled, although he was smiling. Ryou knew the type. They didn't hurt people for money. They didn't hurt for power. They hurt for _fun_. 

Ryou finally took a step backwards. 

But the huge man, bound with muscles, and yet strong enough to speed his weight forward had been to fast for Ryou's frozen mind. He grabbed the boy's pale neck and smashed him painfully up against the wall. 

For a moment Ryou couldn't breath as his windpipe was cut off by the man's large hand. He was pressed against the wall, his legs dangling, and the pain burning the back of his head. 

"What have we here?" the man nearly chuckled, as the light spilled over Ryou. "What a pretty face. I wanna break it!" 

He let back his fist and caught Ryou's jaw. Ryou was let go, and he flung onto the ground with a horrible thud. 

Through his pain, the boy could hear cold laughter. He felt blood in his mouth, and his whole head was pounding with pain; white-hot, searing, excruciating, pain. 

The man had come back. _Here comes another one._ He had one of the bats in his hand. _This one's gunna hurt…_

"RYOU!" 

There was a sudden rush of movement as the two henchmen ran to stop a figure that had come all too close to their beating ground. The boy in their grasps struggled and yelled, but they didn't let go. 

Malik watched with wide, angry eyes as a huge man roughly kicked Ryou in the side. 

"LEAVE HIM ALONE, YOU FUCKER!!" he spat. His face was hot with anger he hadn't felt for years. His mind was exploding with emotion. He had to get to Ryou. 

But the more he struggled, the more the two other men, somehow stronger than him, pushed him back. He cursed as many things as he could in Arabic. 

_Kill them! KILL THEM YOU IDIOT!!_

That was when Malik finally gave in. His mind clouded with rage, he let go of his control. Everything went back, and he fell into an abyss of hate and anger. They didn't know what hit them. In a flash the two men were thrown off the smaller boy, and they crashed in the walls on either side. In another swift moment one of them was punched in the ribs, and multiple snapping meant that more than one rib was broken. 

Malik kicked the man again hard in the head, his eyes suddenly filled with malice, and his hair flicked in every direction chaotically. On his forehead, a glowing eye pierced the dark night. 

He left the man spewing blood and made his way to the next one. In fear the man screamed in a high tone and scampered off. But the crazed boy was too fast for him. He grabbed him by the head and smashed him against the wall before letting his body crumple to the ground. 

He finally turned to the large man. The rush of cars behind them and the disgusting noises of a man coughing up blood were the only things that broke the silence. 

"DIE, FUCKER!" Malik yelled suddenly, rushing at him with one of the bats he had picked up. With a crack, he had swung the bat with all of him might at the man's head. As fast as he had hit him he was down, a pool of blood slowly forming under his huge skull. 

"M-- M--- Malik?" came Ryou's scared voice. He was sitting up, shaking, and pale. 

But he wasn't Malik anymore. He turned his head to look at Ryou from over his shoulder. An insane smile was plastered to his face, and a maniacal look in his eyes. He faced the boy, and put the bat over his shoulder. 

"I'll kill him, Malik" he said in an eerily quiet voice. "And you can't stop me…" He raised the bat, as if to take a swing at Ryou's delicate head. He would smash that pretty face, mess up that gorgeous hair, and ruin those beautiful eyes… 

"RYOU!" 

Someone suddenly smashed into the crazed boy from the side, sending him flying into the wall. As he was about to get up, another attack came; a foot caught him under the chin and nearly snapped his neck. With one more punch from a well-aimed fist, the murderer finally came to a stop, and his eyes closed... 

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Mwaha! What a mean place to end! Please R&R!! 

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	7. Fault

**CHAPTER 7: FAULT**

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Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters...   
Lots more swearing in this chapter... beware... woooo! 

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Light spilled in from a window and the bright sunlight warmed the room. It was quiet. No, not quiet. Out side the sound of joyous birds sang and chattered in the trees. A soft breeze rustled the branches. 

_So warm… and bright._

Soft purple eyes slowly opened, squinting in the light. It was like a dream; a warm, bright room, the sweet smell of fall on the air, and a soft bed underneath. Platinum blonde hair meshed over a soft white pillow, and a small frail body lay motionless. 

_Everything's alright…_ the boy thought happily. _It was just a bad dream…_

_Ya right._

Malik sat bolt upright at the presence of a thought that was surely not his own. He held his head and pressed his eyes shut. 

It wasn't a dream. 

Malik quickly got out of the bed, and stood up. Dizziness threatened to make him fall over again, and a pain in his head throbbed. What the hell had happened? 

The boy continued to the door, but stopped when it was suddenly opened. Yami Bakura and Ryou looked at him, each wearing different expressions. Yami Bakura looked angry, more than usual. Ryou looked-- scared. 

_Shit. What have I done?_

Yami Bakura stepped in the room, and the door was quietly closed behind Ryou. Silently, Yami Bakura put a hand on Malik's chest and forced him back to the bed where he was made to sit down. 

Malik didn't try to fight it. He knew what was coming. Somehow, he knew exactly what had happened the night before. He swallowed hard, and looked to Ryou. 

Ryou looked away. 

_Oh God. Ryou, please forgive me…_

"Malik," Yami Bakura started. He sounded more severe than he had ever. He glared at Malik, trying to remain calm. "What do you remember about last night?" 

Malik understood now. He knew what was going on. Ryou wanted Yami to talk to him, and somehow explain to him what happened. Ryou still cared for him… 

_Oh, Ryou…_

"I remember… finding Ry--Bakura…" Malik looked down. He couldn't call Ryou by his first name. Not now. "They were hurting him… I wanted to help but I couldn't. I got angry…" 

"… And that's when you became him." Yami Bakura stood up all at once. He seemed to reach the end of his tether. "Ryou, let's go." 

Obediently, Ryou followed his Yami out of the room, not looking back to Malik even once. The door closed quietly, and again the room fell into silence. 

_What have I done?_

*~*~*~*~* 

The day passed calmly, not a noise to be heard. No sound of feet shuffling upstairs, no clattering in the kitchen, and no creaking of doors. Malik lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He didn't sleep, but occasionally sat up to hug his knees. Even outside the birds had stopped singing. 

Malik wanted to cry. He wanted to hurt something. He wanted to hurt himself. How could he have hurt him: the one person in all of Domino City that cared about him at all. The worst part was that now Malik could remember it. He remembered every single thing, as if he was watching a movie. It was like he was there, but not. He was using his eyes, but the rest of his body was beyond his control. He had felt the anger too. It was hot and painful. 

He saw the gangsters being beaten to a pulp by hands that were his own. He saw their blood, their fearful faces, and eventually, their dead bodies. He had watched as his body raised the bat, ready to strike at the innocent boy beneath. He had seen the fear in those shining brown eyes; fear of him: Malik. 

Ryou was afraid of him. Even now. 

Malik wondered how Ryou was at this moment. He must have been extremely afraid, for he hadn't taken one step out of him room, from the sounds of it. He must have been hurt too, physically. 

The sun outside was going down. Malik had been in that room all day. He wasn't hungry at all. 

_Maybe you should starve yourself,_ came the voice from within Malik. 

This wasn't far from what Malik was considering. He had no right to eat Ryou's food, nor to even be in his house. He wasn't even sure what room he was in. Malik stood up. 

_I have no right to be here._

He walked to the door, and opened it slowly. There was no one in the hallway, nor were any of the other doors open. Realizing he was on the second floor, Malik headed for the stairs. He moved as quietly as he could. He would slip out of the house without anyone noticing. And then Ryou would never have to see him again. 

Malik walked towards the front door, pausing to grab his cloak. 

Behind him there was a light patter of feet as someone approached him. Malik didn't turn around. He froze, trying to decide what to do. 

"Where are you going?" It wasn't Yami Bakura's voice. It was quiet and soft, and it didn't sound afraid. 

"Away." Malik couldn't think of anything else to say. He didn't know where he was going anyway. 

"You don't have to." The sweet, forgiving voice said. "Malik, I'm not mad." 

Malik didn't move. Why did Ryou have to be so forgiving? "But I hurt you, Bakura." He was finding it hard now to keep back the stinging tears. "I-- I don't deserve to be here." He clenched his eyes closed. 

_Ryou… I don't want to leave you…_

"But I know it wasn't you," continued Ryou. Malik heard him take a step forward. "It was your Yami, right? Please, Malik. I know you are a kind person." 

His voice was like chocolate too; melting over your ears and drawing you closer. 

"B… Baku…" Malik couldn't stop himself. Silent tears rolled down his dark skin. 

"Call me Ryou," said the sweet voice. Malik felt a soft hand touch his arm, and he let out a shaken breath. He slowly turned around, finally meeting those tender brown eyes. 

_Can you forgive me, Ryou?_

"R-Ryou…" Malik managed, as if trying it on for size. Ryou gave a smile: the sweetest, softest, most wonderful smile Malik had ever seen on those gentle lips. Malik suddenly wondered for a moment if those lips tasted as sweet than they looked. 

Before he could help himself he was there. His own lips were planted on Ryou's before the boy had a chance to accept. 

Ryou, wide-eyed, didn't move until after Malik had pulled himself away. A blush rose on Ryou's face, while Malik quickly tried to brush away tears, his own cheeks an even deeper red. 

"I-- I'm sorry" Malik stammered. "I just--" 

"OI!" came a yell from behind Ryou. Yami Bakura, who had obviously been asleep again, stormed up to where the two other boys stood, and wrenched Ryou away. 

"What the HELL are you doing with Ryou??" he growled. Before anyone could protest, Yami Bakura had grabbed Malik by the arm, and forced him down the hall. 

"Get the *FUCK* off me!" yelled Malik, torn between embarrassment, anger, and confusion. 

Yami Bakura took advantage of Malik's confusion and shoved him into an open door. Malik nearly toppled down the stairs to the basement as the door slammed close. He rushed at the door, trying to turn to handle. But it was locked. 

"Stay the FUCK away from Ryou!" he heard Yami yell loudly. "You fucking MURDERER!" 

Malik swore. "OPEN THE DOOR!!" he yelled as loudly as he could. He banged and yelled again. "YAMI!! RYOU!!" But Yami Bakura had already left, obviously taking Ryou with him. 

"LET ME OUT!" he said, banging again. But it was useless. No one else would hear him. He let out an exasperated breath, and headed down into the basement to have a look around. 

He paused at the bottom of the stairs, and found the switch. Boxes and cupboards were the only things in that cold basement. There was one window near the ceiling, but it was smaller than even Malik's frame. 

Malik sighed and sat against the wall, wrapping his arms around his knees. 

_Why don't you just kill him?_ came the voice again in Malik's head. 

"Shut up!!" he said out loud. He looked around the room, but there was no one there. 

"Why can't you leave me alone?" 

Suddenly there was a shimmer in front of him, and a figure appeared, kneeling in front of him. It was a mirror image of himself. The other Malik had hair that almost stood on end, and a look of malice in his eyes. He had a glowing symbol on his forehead, and he was smirking. 

"I'll never leave you, Malik." the darker boy purred. "So long as you have hate in your heart, I will be here with you." 

Malik hid his face behind his knees, as if he was trying to ignore a bad dream. 

"But I don't hate Ryou!" he protested. "I would never hurt him!" 

"But you did." The other half laughed. "You wanted him dead." 

"No! You did! Not me!" he insisted, looking up again. "You are a killer! You hate everyone! I'm not you!" 

"Oh, but I am!" said the darker half. His eyes widened with wickedness. "I am you, and you hate that re-incarnated thief. You hate his Yami, so you hate him! You *hate* him, Malik!" 

"You're wrong!" Malik cried. "I love Ryou!!" 

The Yami frowned. This obviously wasn't what he wanted to hear. "Have it your way." he sneered. "But I'll be back. And when I do, don't expect me to go easy on him…" 

Slowly, he disappeared, leaving Malik alone again. 

_I'll kill him, Malik._

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Mwaha! What a place to end! Please R&R!! 

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	8. Fight

**CHAPTER 8: FIGHT**

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Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! XO   
Moving right along... have fun in this chapter... 0_0;; 

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Yami Bakura brooded in Ryou's room the next morning, lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling. He had stayed home, while he insisted that Ryou should stay the night at the Pharaoh's. Yami spent the whole night in thought. And for once his mind was busy with thoughts other than himself or his vessel. 

A few days ago Malik had arrived at his house, sickly and weak. Ever since then he had kept a close eye on him. If he was anything like he was a year ago, he was going to be trouble. Though Yami Bakura had allied with him, it still didn't mean he was on his side. 

But so far, Malik had been polite and weak, not attempting to hurt anyone or even lie. Yami noticed that his Millennium Rod wasn't even with him. For a while there, Yami was convinced that maybe he had turned over a new leaf. 

Then Yami discovered that _he_ was still there. Malik's Yami was, unlike Yami Yugi or Yami Bakura, not an ancient spirit trapped in a Millennium item. He was a part of Malik, an embodiment of his hatred and anger. And unlike the other Yami's, Malik couldn't get rid of him. But he could control him. 

Morning was starting to creep over the city buildings, and sun began to light the little room. It would be a few hours yet before Ryou came home. Malik was still in the basement. Or Yami _thought_ he was. 

Realizing he hadn't checked up on him, Yami Bakura sprung from the bed and walked swiftly down the stairs. He was fairly sure that Malik wouldn't be able to escape, even if he did have the strength. 

The hallway and door to the basement were silent, and untouched. Yami Bakura listened to the door, and tried to feel for the presence of another person in the room beyond. Nothing. 

He knocked on the door, which was still locked. No reply. 

"Malik," he called in an icy tone. "Malik, wake up and talk to me if you want any food or freedom." Still there was no reply. 

Cautiously, and extremely quietly, Yami opened the door. He blinked at the darkness, seeing nothing. 

Suddenly there was a yell, and Yami caught a foot square in the chest. He crashed into the wall behind him, and swore loudly. 

Quickly he stood up and blocked a swift punch from the angry-looking Egyptian in front of him, and swung his own, sure-fire uppercut. Somehow Malik had dodged this, and managed to land his own punch on Yami's face. He stumbled back, replacing his angry snarl with a smirk. 

"Yami Malik." he said, licking the blood off of his lips. "Long time no see." 

Yami Malik stood up straight, also smirking. "I was delayed." He brushed off his shirt. "I had to get rid of that no-good fool-of-a-boy occupying this body." 

"You got rid of him?" Bakura inquired, looking interested, though still as prepared for an attack as before. "How did you manage that?" 

"He was weak and easy to dispose of." Yami Malik smirked. "You should get rid of your vessel, Bakura." He looked to Bakura with cold eyes. "And we could join forces again." 

"Interesting proposition," said Bakura. He flashed a deadly look to Malik. "But I'd rather you dropped dead." He rushed at Malik, grabbing his arm as he passed him, and whipping it back, in hopes of breaking it. 

Malik yelled and pulled back, his surprisingly strong arm throwing Bakura back. Bakura released the arm, and spun to kick Malik in the back. Malik fell, and then dodged Bakura's foot as it came down by his head. He kicked up behind him, catching Bakura's stomach, and sending him into the wall again. 

With a flick of the wrist, Malik had brought out a small, but deadly looking dagger. He spit blood from him mouth before looking manically at Bakura as he tried to regain his lost breath. 

"You're making the wrong choice, allying with that weakling of a boy." Malik said, walking towards Bakura, pointing his dagger at him. "Now I'll have to kill you, along with that stupid vessel. You do realize that he'll die when you do, right?" 

"That's why I'm not going to die!" Bakura spat, looking almost as maniacal as Malik. He lunged towards Malik, fisting him in the stomach. Malik grabbed his arm, holding him there as he stabbed him deeply in the shoulder. Bakura yelled and fell back as Malik tore the dagger from his pale skin. 

Malik advanced again, but then suddenly stopped, literally freezing in his position. His eyes were wide, and his face in shock. Bakura watched as sweat dripped down the other Yami's face. 

"Why can't you stay gone??" Yami Malik suddenly yelled, recoiling and holding his head. "DO YOU WANT TO DIE??" He lifted the knife and stabbed himself in the arm, a furious look on his face. 

But this obviously was not enough. Yami Malik yelled in a high tone, and fell to his knees. "YOU WILL *NOT* CONTROL THIS BODY!!!!" he yelled through gritted teeth. 

"Run Bakura!" Malik suddenly yelled, looking at the bewildered Yami against the wall. "Before..." He yelled again, and a dagger was uncontrollably lifted. "... before he kills you!!" 

"Fight him, you idiot!" Yami Bakura bellowed, holding his injured shoulder and leaning towards Malik. "You can control him!!" 

Malik looked to Bakura in astonishment, despite his inner struggles. Yami Bakura… was trying to help him… He yelled again in agony, gritting him teeth and holding his head. 

_OH NO YOU DON'T!!_

"You have no control over me!" 

_Yami Bakura doesn't care about you!! WE HAVE TO KILL HIM!!_

"Malik!!" Yami Bakura was yelling over the commotion in Malik's head. "Don't listen to what he says! You can win control over him!!" 

Suddenly the door slammed open, and Ryou stood there, looking as though he had been running. Behind him, Yami Bakura could see Yami Yugi and Jounouchi. 

"Malik!" Ryou ran towards him, but Yami Bakura yelled from him to stop. 

"Don't get anywhere near him!!" Bakura instructed. "Let him settle this himself." 

They all watched as Malik continued to yell and whimper. Then, suddenly, it stopped. 

A silence fell over the room, and Malik stopped moving. He looked to Ryou with a mixture of emotions on his face. 

"Ryou..." he muttered, dropping the dagger with a thud, and slumping down to a sit. "Ryou... I hurt him... Ryou... I'm sorry..." 

Ryou walked over to him, a look of pity on his face. He dropped to his knees, drawing Malik to him in a hug. He stroked his hair, as the exhausted teen began to sob. 

Yami Yugi and Jounouchi both watched, their faces unreadable. Yami Bakura watched with a mixture of satisfaction and thoughtfulness. No one could speak. No one could move. 

Malik finally blacked out, leaving the confused world behind… 

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Wow, I sure do make Malik pass out a lot... gomen ne, Malik-chan!! XO 

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	9. Finale

**CHAPTER 9: FINALE **

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Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! XO   
Uh... another reason why this is pg13. Lotsa violence in this chapter... 

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Yami Bakura watched his Hikari kneel by the bed on which Malik lay. A silence was grasping the room, and there was scarcely even a breath. 

Yami Bakura looked to Yugi. Yugi looked to Jounouchi. Jounouchi looked to Ryou. Ryou stood up, his back to all of them. 

"We need a plan," he said finally, making them all look at him. "What's going to happen when he wakes up… and…" 

"…And he's not himself." 

Ryou looked to Yami Yugi, who had taken the place of his shorter partner. He was obviously in thought as he moved towards Malik's motionless body. 

After what had happened just hours ago, the group of teens were almost in shock. Even Jou had found himself unable to say anything about the incident. But despite the lack of communication, they were all thinking the same thing. 

They all knew that Yami Malik could and would come back. And Malik was weak, perhaps too weak to fight him off if he tried to take his body for him own. But Malik's weakness was also a plus. This meant that if Yami Malik showed up, he too would be too weak to fight. Or at least, they hoped. 

"He shouldn't wake up for a while yet…" Yami Yugi said, taking charge. "But we should tie him down, just in case." 

"Tie him down??" asked Ryou, looking startled. 

"We have to," said Yami Bakura, looking grim. "He could not only hurt us, but also himself. Tie him up, Pharaoh." And with that, he disappeared, retreating to the Millennium ring around Ryou's neck. 

*~*~*~*~* 

There was a stirring in the dark room. Slowly, very slowly, a consciousness came about, and a quiet straining of a tight rope was heard. 

Ryou watched from a chair, not yet making a sound. Malik, his eyes shining, looked to the other boy. 

"Ryou…?" he said, his voice like candy. "Why am I tied up?" It was obvious he was shaking. 

"We had to, Malik." Ryou said, as sweetly as he could. "You know that." 

Malik strained against the rope for a moment, and then let out a staggered breath as he pressed his eyes shut. 

"Malik…?" Ryou whispered. 

"Ryou!" Malik suddenly said in a loud voice. "Ryou, please, you have to untie me!" His eyes were filled with fear, and the pierced the dark. 

"I can't, Malik!" Ryou protested quietly. 

"Ryou, you *have* to untie me!" Malik insisted, growing more impatient, and panicking. "He's… he's hurting me!" 

_/Don't untie him, Ryou./_ came Yami Bakura's voice in Ryou's head. 

"Ryou… it hurts…" Malik squeaked, tears leaking from his eyes. He clenched them closed, and winced. "Help me!" 

_\Yami, I have to help him!\_ Ryou protested to Yami Bakura. _\Yami Malik is hurting him!\_

_/It's a trick!/_

"I can't untie you--" 

"PLEASE, Ryou!!" Malik yelled, tears flowing steadily down his face. He struggled against the ropes, and let out a moan of pain. "It… it hurts!" He cried out in pain. 

Ryou couldn't bare to watch. 

"Malik!" he said, kneeling by his bed, and laying his hands on the boy's arm. 

_/Get away from him!/_

_\Yami! He's in pain!\_

_/DON'T let him go!/_

Ryou bit his lip, watching as Malik writhed in pain. 

"You STUPID boy!" he suddenly yelled. "Why can't you just let me GO??" He let out a yell, and there was a surge of power that swept through the room, and the whole house. Malik's head fell back onto the pillow, and he didn't move again. 

"Much better." 

Ryou whirled around in shock, staring with wide-eyes at the figure that now stood by Malik's bed. Yami Malik, almost identical as the boy lying tied up on the bed, rotated his arm, getting out the kinks and stretching the muscle. A maniacal smile turned on Ryou as he knelt unmoving and staring by the real Malik's side. 

"H… How…?" Ryou stammered. 

"Oh come on!" Yami Malik actually rolled his eyes. "You and that midget Pharaoh's dark halves are always making their own bodies. It didn't take me long to figure out how they did it." A dark grin spilt over his face. "I am as much alive as _he_ is." 

Ryou dared to look over to where Yami Malik had indicated. Yami Bakura had emerged from the ring, and his face was contorted into a snarl. 

Without a word, he rushed forward and pinned Yami Malik to the wall by his neck. Snarling fiercely, his fist met bone as he punched him viciously in the jaw. 

"Still alive?" Yami Malik muttered before spitting a mixture of spit and blood on Yami Bakura's face. He grabbed Bakura's arm where he had stabbed it just hours ago. Bakura grinned almost as manically. "That wont work on me." 

"Oh?" Malik squeezed the arm harder, blood leaking out from under the bandage, and dripping over his hand. 

Somewhere behind them, Ryou screamed. 

"Bastard!!" Bakura yelled, punching Malik once again before running over to Ryou. Blood was dripping from his arm, from the same knife wound. "Ryou… I'm sorr-" 

"YAMI, LOOK OUT!" Ryou yelled. 

Yami Malik literally pounced from his spot and crashed down on Yami Bakura's back. Before the other Yami could react, Malik had grabbed his hair, and was pulling his head back. 

"Never turn your eyes from the enemy, Bakura." He purred. His eyes flashed to Ryou, and in one swift moment, he had knocked him across the room and he crashed into Malik's bed. 

"I'll have to punish you, Bakura." Yami Malik continued, not 'purring' anymore. "How does the shadow realm sound to you, hm?" He pulled out a knife, pressing it to Bakura's cheek. 

There was another sudden crash, and Yami Yugi and Jounouchi burst into the room. 

"Bakura!" Yami Yugi yelled, starting to advance on Malik. 

There was a swift movement of Yami Malik's hand, and a fraction of a second later, the knife was the Pharaoh's stomach. 

There was a slight silence before Yugi coughed, and Jounouchi yelled. 

"YOU BASTARD!!" Jounouchi bellowed, rushing for Malik. But a grin on the Yami's face showed how ready he was. In one quick movement, Yami Malik sprang an uppercut into Jou's stomach, avoiding the blonde's fist by a mile. 

Jounouchi's body stuttered, threatening to loose balance and fall to the floor. 

"Maybe I'll send you to the shadow realm…" Yami Malik whispered in his ear. 

But he had paused a moment too long. Yami Bakura was up, and with a yell, he wrenched Malik's body away from Jounouchi and slammed him into a wall again. He then pulled him away, and slammed him yet again into the wall. 

The third time Bakura didn't succeed. Malik braced himself, then pushed violently away from the wall, causing Bakura to loose balance. Malik was then able to pin him on the ground, and punch him a few more times. 

"DON'T underestimate me!!" he yelled. He braced Yami Bakura's head, and then hit is with his own, causing blood to flow from broken skin. He hit him again with his fist, then managed to pull out another fair-sized knife. 

"Or maybe" he spat through gritted teeth. "I'll cut out your HEART." The sun that was slowly rising and spilling into the window beside him made his eyes shin, and illuminated the blood smeared on his face. 

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Now THAT was an evil place to end. Don't worry. I'll finish the next chapter ASAP! (So please R&R in the mean while!)   
On another note: Yes, I do realize that Yami Malik was never able to make a separate body for himself in the series. But I figured that if the other Yamis could do it, then Yami Malik in all him magical goodness could too! 

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	10. Finale Part 2

**CHAPTER 10: FINALE (PART 2) **

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Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! XO   
Getting near the end now... *tears* 

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The room was still for a moment as Yami Malik straddled Yami Bakura, holding a knife to his neck, and leaning close to him. 

"Or maybe" he spat through gritted teeth. "I'll cut out your HEART." 

But Yami Malik wouldn't succeed in this. There was another swift movement as someone tore the knife from his hand another knocked him off of the near-unconscious Yami Bakura. 

Unnoticed, Jounouchi had crawled over to where Malik, the only unharmed one in the lot, lay on the bed urging the blonde boy to un-tie him. Ryou slouched against the wall, understandably as beat up as Yami Bakura. Yugi breathed heavily against the wall just outside the room. A moment later, Jounouchi had the knife, and Malik had his Yami. 

Malik, the real Malik, looked with gleaming eyes at Yami Malik, a moment before he grabbed him by his blood splattered hair, and smashed his head on the ground. 

Pain exploded in the back of the real Malik's head. If it hurt this much for him, then it would hurt this much for his Yami. The more pain he felt, the better. 

He let loose a punch to Yami Malik's face, and felt that too. Blinking back tears of pain, he did it again, and again. He then paused, breathing heavily and gritting his teeth. 

Yami Malik laughed wickedly. "You think you can defeat me? It hurts, doesn't it?" He grinned. "But you hate me so much it doesn't matter. You will hurt me as much as you can, and your hatred will grow." He looked absolutely thrilled. His eyes gleamed, and he bared an insane smile. "And as your hatred grows, so does my power!!" 

He shoved Malik off with an amazing strength, and jumped to his feet. 

"AND THE MORE POWERFUL I AM…" he yelled now. "… THE EASIER TO KILL YOU!!" He grabbed Malik by the face, and lifted him just above the ground. Malik, in a panic, kicked his Yami fiercely in the chest. He felt the pain, but was luckily dropped, and he scrambled away. He pressed himself against the wall, winded. 

Yami Malik looked up at him, and Malik should have been afraid. His eyes were burning with fury, and his face twisted up in some horrible snarl that made him look inhuman. 

"You will pay for that, boy" the Yami said between bared teeth. "You are MINE. You cannot fight me. You belong to ME!" 

"YOU'RE WRONG!" Malik bellowed. His shoulders were squared, and his eyes focused on his target. His face was calm but severe. 

"What did you say?" his Yami spat, looking furious. 

"You belong to me, Yami." Malik said calmly. "It's not me who is dependant. It's you." He walked towards the shocked and angry Yami. "You are MINE." 

The room shook with a sudden surge of the boy's will. Malik pulled, with all his might, and it was like a huge storm had picked up in the room. Wind whipped from Yami Malik's direction to Malik, pulling the enraged madman with it. Something that sounded like thunder echoed through the house. 

"YOU ARE *MINE*!!" Malik yelled with all of his might, pulling harder now. "COME BACK TO YOUR PRISON!!" 

Yami Malik screamed and realized what was happening far too late. He flung his arms in front of his head as he was sucked into the other boy's body. 

With one more shudder, the room fell into a silence that was only broken by the sound of Malik falling unconscious on the floor one last time… 

*~*~*~*~* 

"It's over…" 

Malik sat up in his bed, looking to a pair of familiar brown eyes. But these eyes were not those of Ryou. Malik was startled to see Yami Bakura, looking tired, sitting by his bed. 

"What…?" 

"I said, it's over" said Yami Bakura irritably. He had a bandage just above his left eye, which was covered by a black ring, and his arm was still bandaged up as well. Malik suddenly felt very guilty. 

"I… I'm sorry for…" 

"Oh, shut up!" Yami Bakura said, crossing his arms over his chest. "We know it wasn't you who did this!" 

Malik broke into a smile. "So you forgive me?" 

"What?" Yami Bakura looked like he was loosing his patience. "Of course! I… I mean…" He looked embarrassed for some reason. "Only because Ryou has!" 

"How is Ryou?" Malik suddenly enquired, ignoring Yami Bakura's obvious embarrassment. 

"If I'm better, he will be soon. He's in bed right now," said Bakura, in an off hand tone. "He'll wanna see you afterwards…" He stood up, and headed for the door. 

"Malik," He paused at the door, and turned to the boy in the bed. "What happened to… _him_?" 

"He's still here." Malik said, and Bakura tensed. "But I have some control over him now… I think." The Yami at the door decided not to dig any deeper for now, so he left. 

_He is still here,_ Malik told himself. _Somewhere_. 

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*smiles* 

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	11. Calm

**CHAPTER 11: CALM**

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Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! XO   
To compensate for the horribly short chapter 10. 

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"Malik-kun?" piped the small boy from his hospital bed. Yugi sat under white covers with all of his friends around him. Malik stood alone in the doorway. 

"O… ohayo, Yugi-san." Malik said quietly. They were all staring at him. "How are you feeling?" 

"Much better!" Yugi smiled. Malik smiled faintly back. 

"I'm sorry…" he began, reciting the speech that he had practiced for hours before hand. "If it hadn't been for me, you would never had gotten hurt… and… I'm sorry." He bowed low. 

"We don't blame you, Malik" came a voice Malik had not expected to hear. Jounouchi was actually smiling when Malik looked up. The taller boy held out a hand. "Friends?" 

Malik took the hand gratefully, a huge smile crossing his face. "Friends!" 

*~*~*~*~* 

More than a week ago, Malik Ishtar had been crying alone in a city far away. Less than a week ago, he had found himself alone even in Domino City. But now, right at this moment, he felt more accepted than he had ever felt in his whole life. And, perhaps by coincidence, he also felt happy; _very_ happy. 

He arrived at the Bakura house that afternoon practically skipping with joy. He didn't even notice the car in the driveway. 

He walked into the house, and was about to turn the corner when he bumped into someone tall… someone who was not Ryou or his Yami. 

"Malik, is it?" came the man's voice. Malik looked up into brown eyes. He knew at once that this older man was none other than Ryou's father, Mr. Bakura. 

"Ah!" Malik exclaimed in surprise. "You must be Bakura's father!" The boy stiffly bowed as low as he could. He heard the man laugh. 

"No need for formalities!" he said kindly. He smiled to Malik as he straightened up nervously. "I have to go out now, but Ryou's in the living room." He smiled again, and then left through the door Malik had left open. 

Malik let out a breath and walked into the living room, which luckily had been cleaned and fixed up to look like there had never been a fight in it. Just two nights ago there had been blood smeared on various spots on the walls and floor, and much of the furniture had been upturned or broken. It now looked as right as rain, with sun pouring in through the large window and spilling over the quiet boy reading in a squishy chair. 

Ryou looked to Malik as he entered, smiling softly and waving slightly. His eyes were sparkling in the light, and his hair and skin were bright, blurred and softened in the rays. 

_I wonder what angels look like…_

"How are you feeling today, Ryou?" Malik said, trying to sound casual, when in fact his body was rigid and his insides whirling. 

"I'm alright." Ryou laughed a golden laugh. "What about you?" 

"I'm alright… I just met your father." Malik said, skipping through subjects. "I didn't realize he was coming back so soon." He moved as smoothly as he could to the couch across from the other boy. 

"It *has* been almost two weeks." Ryou said, smiling. 

A part of Malik wished Ryou wouldn't smile so beautifully. How was he supposed to concentrate? 

"Uh… um… he seems like a very nice guy…" Try as he might, Malik couldn't get the words out right. "He's… got your eyes." Malik tried again, very desperately, to not blush. He failed. 

"Brown." Ryou scoffed. "Not very interesting. It's a curse in my family." 

"You have beautiful eyes!" Malik protested, and immediately he regretted it. He clamped a hand over his mouth and turned a brilliant shade of red. 

Ryou, too, had turned pink in the cheeks. He obviously hadn't forgotten the incident in the hallway before Malik was going to run away. Not that he had _wanted_ to… 

"Ryou…" Malik began softly, snapping Ryou out of whatever thoughts he had. Malik was wringing his hands in his lap, and he was eyeing them with a deep blush still dominating his cheeks. "…You… I… I want to…" 

He stopped short as Ryou sat down beside him on the couch. He felt his thigh warm against his own, and the soft fabric of his shirt against his bare shoulder. "Go on…" Ryou whispered, working his hand into Malik's. 

Malik looked into those brown eyes, their faces very close. He could feel Ryou's heat; his warm chocolate. He could hear his heartbeat and feel his soft breath on his lips. 

"I…" he breathed, brushing his lips over Ryou's. "… want you." He kissed him deeply, parting lips and pressing his tongue hungrily into Ryou's mouth. The other boy ran a gentle hand through Malik's hair, letting him shift his weight over him. 

They let the kiss run it's course for minutes, but when Ryou pulled away, Malik felt it was not long enough. Ryou giggled, looking at the other boy straddling him. 

"What?" Malik said sounding worried. All he wanted was another chance to explore Ryou's mouth again. 

"Yami's gunna kill me!" Ryou said softly, giggling again. "He told me I couldn't ever kiss you!" 

Malik looked startled. "He did?" He then grinned, running his hand through Ryou's hair and moving his lips to his pale slender neck. "Well that's not gunna stop me!" He ran his tongue along Ryou's jaw line, before kissing him again. 

Ryou pushed Malik, trying to roll over so that he could somehow be over top of the Egyptian, but there was a loss of balance, and they both ended up on the floor, laughing. 

"Ryou," came Yami Bakura's irritated voice. He stood in the doorway, not looking quite as shocked as they had expected. They both stopped laughing, and looked up to him. Bakura was now lying on top of Malik as a result of the fall. 

"If you're going to be shagging the brat, you can at least stop sending me every God damn feeling in your sick little mind!" 

He couldn't hide the blush that was rising in his cheeks as he walked off. 

"Yami~!" Ryou whined, also blushing once again. "I'm not *shagging* anyone!!" 

But Malik was laughing. In a moment, he had the white-haired teen pinned on the ground, and no one was complaining. 

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Well, how was that for a half-ass ending? I may do an epilogue... but I may or may not post it on this site, depending on the content... *wink* 

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